...let's consider something now that The Whistler has been documented extant. 
First, nobody that's been in the hobby longer than 15 minutes can forget this story from exactly 5 years ago (geeze, has it been that long?):
http://www.popularhotrodding.com/fea...y/viewall.html
Now, scroll down to the end of that article and note the five original time slips posted for the car back in the day; ETs of: 12.39, 12.76, 12.15 (I think that last digit is a 5; might be a 6), 12.21, and 12.24.
That Tempest had the best available talent massaging and driving it and it had at slicks, aftermarket headers (undoubtedly tuned to within an inch of the 421's life), the best aftermarket traction setup they could engineer, and open exhaust. None of those are permitted at The Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race.
But at The 2013 Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race, an essentially rank amateur driver (John Kern of Danville IN) took a car virtually identical to The Whistler as originally manufactured (The Stude Tomato) on street-legal, DOT-approved P235/70R15 tires, optional Studebaker factory headers, only traction devices permitted at that event (not bars, by any stretch of the imagination), and full, closed, street exhaust all the way to the rear bumper, and posted a best Elapsed Time of 12.740 seconds in the quarter mile a split second after I took this photograph:
Now, by the time the new owner got done buying the 1963 Super Duty 421 Tempest (a never-manufactured-for-street-use car as close to a competitor for a 1963 Studebaker R2 Super Lark as there could be in 1963) and had it professionally restored, I'm willing to bet he had close to a half-million Benjamin Franklins in it.
The Whistler, sadly, is every bit as bad -maybe worse- than was that Tempest when both were found. Still, with the kind of money that was poured into the Tempest, The Whistler could look every bit as good as it did in this now-famous photo, which would include headers, open dumps, traction bars de jour, and drag slicks, as shown:
I am certain The Whistler could be brought back to the same level as was that Tempest for far less money...although it would be substantial, to be sure, and could hit six figures if perfect...and I mean perfect. But at least nobody started out dropping darn near a quarter-million dollars for The Whistler's core.
And with Ted Harbit given free reign to put slicks, headers, traction bars, and open exhaust on The Whistler and then practice with it, I can't imagine anything higher on my bucket list than watching Ted and The Whistler square off against that Tempest, heads-up, for a best 2 out of 3 exhibition match at The Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race...or, what the hell, if Ted is feeling under the weather that day, we'll just strap ole' John Kern in The Whistler and let him fly!
Yeah, I like all those ideas...
(Now before everybody falls all over themselves straining to appear erudite, remember: This is a pro-Studebaker forum, not an exercise room to discredit South Bend's finest and try to elevate your stature by doing so. There's plenty of places to do that but not here, thank you!
To the point, lest I be misunderstood as I stir the pot, I did NOT say The Whistler would beat the Super Duty Tempest hands-down in my hypothetical match-up...but I'd also say one would be ill-advised to bet much against it.) 
BP
First, nobody that's been in the hobby longer than 15 minutes can forget this story from exactly 5 years ago (geeze, has it been that long?):
http://www.popularhotrodding.com/fea...y/viewall.html
Now, scroll down to the end of that article and note the five original time slips posted for the car back in the day; ETs of: 12.39, 12.76, 12.15 (I think that last digit is a 5; might be a 6), 12.21, and 12.24.
That Tempest had the best available talent massaging and driving it and it had at slicks, aftermarket headers (undoubtedly tuned to within an inch of the 421's life), the best aftermarket traction setup they could engineer, and open exhaust. None of those are permitted at The Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race.
But at The 2013 Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race, an essentially rank amateur driver (John Kern of Danville IN) took a car virtually identical to The Whistler as originally manufactured (The Stude Tomato) on street-legal, DOT-approved P235/70R15 tires, optional Studebaker factory headers, only traction devices permitted at that event (not bars, by any stretch of the imagination), and full, closed, street exhaust all the way to the rear bumper, and posted a best Elapsed Time of 12.740 seconds in the quarter mile a split second after I took this photograph:
Now, by the time the new owner got done buying the 1963 Super Duty 421 Tempest (a never-manufactured-for-street-use car as close to a competitor for a 1963 Studebaker R2 Super Lark as there could be in 1963) and had it professionally restored, I'm willing to bet he had close to a half-million Benjamin Franklins in it.
The Whistler, sadly, is every bit as bad -maybe worse- than was that Tempest when both were found. Still, with the kind of money that was poured into the Tempest, The Whistler could look every bit as good as it did in this now-famous photo, which would include headers, open dumps, traction bars de jour, and drag slicks, as shown:
I am certain The Whistler could be brought back to the same level as was that Tempest for far less money...although it would be substantial, to be sure, and could hit six figures if perfect...and I mean perfect. But at least nobody started out dropping darn near a quarter-million dollars for The Whistler's core.
And with Ted Harbit given free reign to put slicks, headers, traction bars, and open exhaust on The Whistler and then practice with it, I can't imagine anything higher on my bucket list than watching Ted and The Whistler square off against that Tempest, heads-up, for a best 2 out of 3 exhibition match at The Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race...or, what the hell, if Ted is feeling under the weather that day, we'll just strap ole' John Kern in The Whistler and let him fly!
Yeah, I like all those ideas...
(Now before everybody falls all over themselves straining to appear erudite, remember: This is a pro-Studebaker forum, not an exercise room to discredit South Bend's finest and try to elevate your stature by doing so. There's plenty of places to do that but not here, thank you!
To the point, lest I be misunderstood as I stir the pot, I did NOT say The Whistler would beat the Super Duty Tempest hands-down in my hypothetical match-up...but I'd also say one would be ill-advised to bet much against it.
) BP
We've got to quit saying, 
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